Folding ladder with rear prop



Jan. 9, 1934. cQRN ELOUP 1,943,206

FOLDING LADDER WITH REAR PROP Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I in.

Jan. 9, 1934. L. ORNELOUP 1,943,206

FOLDING LADDER WITH REAR PROP Filed Nov. 9. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 retiree PATENT @FFEQE 1,943,206 FOLDING LADDER WITH REAR PROP Louis corneloumParis, France Application November 9, 1931, Serial No. 573,983, and in France November 12, 1930 4 Claims.

I filed application in France on November 12th, 1930, and in Germany on June 26th,,1931.

The known folding ladders are provided with parallel uprights, and. when the ladder is folded up, the two uprights come together, the rounds of the ladder being pivoted to each upright, or inother cases the rounds having an additional pivot joint in the middle. As a rule, there is no rear support or prop which will enable the ladder to stand upright without being placed against a wall; such ladders are usually very large and heavy, and suchladders are consequently diflicult to handle. 4

The present invention relates to a ladder with rear support or prop which can be entirely folded, by the use of suitable pivot joints, and the whole apparatus when in the folded position will have a relatively small size.

Inorder to attain the result, the uprights and the rear prop are pivoted together-at the top. The rounds of the ladder are pivoted to slidable members which are movable along the uprights in suitable guides, and when folded, the rounds are engaged within the said slidable members.

. The accompanying drawings show by way of example an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the ladder in the following position.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the ladder in the extended position, with the rear prop still folded up and with a part of an upright broken away to show the inner arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a side view, with the rear prop half extended.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of an larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a partial view of the right-hand upupright on a right adjacent the rounds on a larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a detail view. I

Fig. '7 is an enlarged view of the hinges.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the ladder in open position.

As shown in the drawings, the ladder comprises two uprights 1 and 2, of hard wood, which are about two meters in length, said uprights having a U-section. To the two inner sides of the U are screwed two respective flat steel bars 3 which form a flange next the middle and hold in place the slidable members 4-5, consisting of channel bars, which are situated in the'said uprights. Obviously the uprights might be of an all-metal construction. The length of the slidable members 4 -5 is lessthan that of the uprights, but-somewhat exceeds the distance between the upper and lower round of the ladder.

The slidable member 4 is made in one piece and is pierced with holes in such manner that the rounds of the ladder can be mounted by means of countersunk rivets 6 or the like which serve. as pivot axles.

The slidable member 5 is made in several sections, each of which carries a round of the ladder at its lower part. Each section is connected with the adjacent section by a spring 7, whereby the sections can be separated if necessary when 5 the ladder is folded, and can be brought into contact with one another when the ladder is opened out. g

The two uprights are connected together at the top by a hinge 8, thehorizontal axis 9 of which carries a forked bracket in which the rear support or prop 11 is pivotally mounted.

Two folding connecting bars 12, of flat bar iron, are pivoted respectively to the uprights and to the rear prop, and then the said prop can be folded up, whether the uprights are opened out or closed.

At the lower end of each upright is a hard wood strip, and the lower ends of the said slidable members will rest upon these strips.

In Fig. 6 the bar 12 is pivoted at its lower end 0 one. stud 15 carried by the member 16' of the hinge 17'. The free end of this bar 12 is provided with a. lateral member 13 engageable in a notch 14 in thebar 12'. The two bars 12 and 12' are pivotally united. The lower end of the bar 12' is pivotally mounted as at 15 on a lug extending from the member'16, the latter being the movable member of the hinge member 17.

The operation is as follows.

,Starting from the folded position of the ladder, the uprights 1 and 2 are separated, and the rounds of the ladder come into position, after which the rear prop is separated.

The ladder being thus folded out, the operator seizes the upright 2 with the right hand, and raises the second round, grasping it at a point. near the upright 1, so that the slidable member 4 will rise in the upright 1 according as the rounds take the vertical position. v

0n the otherhand, the sections of the slidable member 5 move apart and become spaced along the upright 2 according to the length of the rounds, and finally, the two uprights are brought against one anotherand the rounds are concealed.

To close up the rear prop, the connecting bars 9 12 are raised at the middle and are brought against the uprights.

I claim:

1. A folding ladder, comprising a prop, uprights, pivot joints at the top of said uprights. and the U prop, guides provided in the interior of one of the uprights, slidable members longitudinallymovable in the said guides, and rounds pivoted at their ends to the said slidable members.

2. A folding ladder, comprising a prop, uprights, pivot joints'at the top of said uprights and the prop, guides provided in the interior of one of the uprights, slidable members longitudinallymovable in the said guides, and rounds pivoted at their ends to the said slidable members, said slidable members'consisting of superposed sections, which latter are connected together by reaction springs.

3. A folding ladder, comprising a prop, and uprights, pivotal joints at the top of the prop. and

uprights, guides in the interior of one 0! said uprights, slidable members longitudinally-movable, in said guides, folding connection bars, and

,7 pivot joints by which said bars are mounted upon said uprights.

4. A folding ladder, comprising a prop, and uprights, pivotal joints at the top of the prop, and uprights, guides in the interior of one of said uprights, slidable members longitudinallymovable in said guides, folding connection bars, and pivot joints by which said bars are mounted upon said uprights, and hard wood strips mounted in the lower ends of said uprights. 

